Building construction



Dec. 24, 1940.

G. E. KERSHAW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l l Z5@ l 2561?/ E 22M; am Q a Eli/270572@ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 24, 1940. G. EL KERsHAw BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. .4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @90g/ge T/15M ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES,

OFFCE Claims.-

This invention relates to improvements in building construction and especially is concerned with a new and improved type of building construction wherein means are provided for heating or, upon 5 occasion, cooling rooms within the building.

The ordinary means of heating and cooling rooms within a building comprises unsightly heat exchangers commonly called radiators wherein huid of a preselected thermal content is circulated.

This means is unsatisfactory, however, since the appearance of a room is seriously and deleteriously eiected by the presence oiugly, clumsy and bulky radiators., Moreover radiators being substantially nonportable hinder use of portions of wall and ioor space ,which otherwise could be utilized to advantage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel heat exchange unit whichcan he incorporated Within partitions of a building for the purpose of heating or cooling the rooms thereto adjoining.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel type of partition construction whereby the provision of a void within a partition is facilitated in which a heat exchange unit can he mounted.

Among the important advantages of the novel building construction according to the present invention are the simplicity and ruggednessoi construction of the preferred embodiment'of the invention which permit manufacture under conditions of mass production and which minimize necessity for and cost of repair.

A feature of the novel partition construction according to this invention is that the mounting for the heat exchanger is intrinsically' exible to a degree such that expansion and contraction of parts of the heat exchanger do not impair the strength of the partition nor otherwise deleteriously affect neighboring portions of the structure.

@ther objects, advantages and features of the new and improved building construction according to the present invention willv be apparent to those skilled in this art during the course 'of the following description.

Regarded in certain of its broader aspects, the l the void, a sinuosity of tubing wherein fluid of preselected heat content can be circulated.

in order to facilitate a fuller' and more complete understanding of the present invention aspecic 55 embodiment thereof herein illustrated will be hereinafter described, it being clearly understood, however, that the illustrated embodiment, although presently preferred, is provided solely` by Way of example of the practice of this invention and not by way of limitation thereoi except inso- `r`a`r as the invention is recited in the suhjoinfed claims.

Referring then to the drawings, Figure l is substantially a iront elevational View of a portion of a partition embodying features of the present invention, one of the sides or the partition being broken away for clearness oi illustration,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 1 illustrating details of mounting of the sinuosity,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. l illustrating details of the construction,

Fig. 4 is substantially'a vertical sectional view of a partition constructed in accordance with theV teachings oi this invention, 5 is a View similar to Fig. it or another embodiment oi the present invention showing same in vertical sectional view to espose internal construction, A

Fig. 6 is substantially e. front elevational View of another embodiment of this invention with. parts being broken away for clearness ci illustration,

Fig. 7 is essentially a vertical sectional view oi a. portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 6, and

Figi 8 is a perspective view partially broken away of one of the supporting studs.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive wherein the iirst illustrated and presently preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated, it will be noted that upright studs Acxtend in spacedl parallelism and carry attached to the sides thereof ioraminous sheets i0 and li which are coated on their outer surfaces by essentially continuous layers it and i3 respectively of surfacing material such as plaster and the like. It is of course to be understood that the ioraminous sheets are disposed in essential parallelism with respect to each other and dene therebetween an enclosed void B. The coatings i2 and I 3 adhere to the foraminous sheets by reason of application of the coatings in unset form to the sheets whereby portions of the coating composition key themselves to the interstices of the subjacent sheets.

A sinuosity i5 extending substantially in a single plane is disposed within the void deiined by the studs A and the spaced foraminous sheets l0 and l I, being' spaced with respect to each and being supported by means hereinafter to be de' scribed. The sinuosity is formed of tubing wherein fluid of a preselected heat content can be circulated and in the presently preferred embodiment of this invention is formed with copper tubing which is both easy to fabricate into the desired shapes and also possesses high heat transfer coemcient although other tubing such as ordinary iron piping may be substituted if conditions warrant. l

Fins I3 extending essentially perpendicularly with respect to the sinuosity I5 and united thereto by weldingalong upturned edge portions I6a are bent at the opposite edge portions Iib to engage with openings in the foraminous sheets III and II substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is preferred that the edge portions Ib of the fins I6 be spot welded or otherwise firmly attached to the foraminous sheets III and II and A that the fins be formed of thermo-conductive material whereby heat can be conducted through the fins to and from the sinuosity I5. 'Ihe ns I6, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, are easily bent, being weakened by openings ISc formed therein, whereby expansion and contraction of the sinuosity due to variations in the thermal content will be substantially without effect upon the partitions IIl and II.

Referring now especially to Fig. 4 it will be seen that, in the therein illustrated partition embodying features of the 'present invention, openings C are provided at the bottoms of the sides of the partition and openings D are provided in the tops of the partition sides whereby air can circulate freely through the openings C upwardly through the void B and outwardly through the' openings D. It will be evident of course thatthe coils I5 within the void `B will serve either to heat or to abstract heat from air circulating through the void. It also will be apparent from the foregoing that heat will be conducted by the hns from or to, as the case may be, the foraminous sheets I0 and I I which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, are formed of thermo-conductive material whereby the surfaces I2 and I3 of the partition acquires a thermal content depending upon the thermal content of the sinuosity I5. In this manner the rooms adjoining the partition are heated by convection, conduction and radiation assuring maximum utilization of the thermal content of fluid circulated withi the sinuosity.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 5 differs from the nrst described embodiment of the present invention in 'the means whereby the supporting flns attached to the sinuosity are'connected to the foraminous sides of the partition. It will beseen that in this embodiment of the present invention foraminous'sheets 20 and 2I extending in essentially parallel relationship are provided on their outer surfaces with coatings 22 and 23 respectively and that a sinuosity 24 positioned in the void E between the foraminous sheets is supported by ns 25, formed by punching out parts of the sheets,4

aasaoci other-and that between the uprights F other uprights G are provided resting upon studs 30. 'Ihe studs 30, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 8, each comprise an upright portion T-shaped in cross-sectional outline having a bracket top 3i 5 provided with upturned end 32 and fastening holes 32a.' The lower end of the stud is bent to provide a' base portion 33, which also is` provided with fastening holes 33a.

In thisembodiment of the present invention foraminous thermally conductive sheets 31 and 3`I'l are 'attached to the studs or uprights F and G hereinabove described to denne therebetween a void H. A panel of thennally conductive material 35 causes the void nearthe base of the partition 15 substantially as shown and both sides of the partition are coated with surfacing material 36, 38 and 38 whereby-a finished appearance is provided. A sinuosity 39 positioned between the studs 30 and the panel 35 is supported by fins 40 which are welded or otherwise attached to the sinuosity and to the plate at llay and IIb respectively whereby a firm but flexible support is provided adapted to permit expansion and contraction of the sinuosity resulting from variation in the thermal content thereof. Soldering, welding or other appropriate means of connection 42 serves to hold the sinuosity against the upright studs 3D, it of course being noted that the expansion of the sinuosity will in turn be reected in expansion of the stud and similarly with contraction of the sinuosity whereby impairment of the union between studs and sinuosity will not be caused by thermal expension and contraction. In this embodiment of the present invention the plate 35 functions substantially as a source of radiant energy serving further to facilitate heating of adjoining rooms in addition to the heating provided by convection and conduction from the heat exchanger as hereinabove described.

It is to be understood thatthis invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the precise illustrated forms no r described construction and, therefore, such changes and modiflcations may be made therein, for instance the use of the units in floors instead of upright partitions, as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what. it is desired to; secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a building, a partition having a void therein, a foraminous thermo-conductive sheet across the void; a sinuosity of tubing-wherein fluid of preselected heat content can be circulated; and thermo-conducting means for supporting the sinuosity within the void in a manner permitting expansion and contraction comprising easily bending fins connecting the sinuosity and the sheet. A

2. `In a building,` a partition comprising spaced essentially parallel foraminous sheets of thermoconductive material dening a void therebetween, a sinuosity of tubing between the sheets for the circulation of a thermo fluid, and flexible thermoconducting nns connected to-the tubing and the sheets of thermo-conductive material.

3. Ina building, a partition comprising spaced essentially parallel foraminous sheets of thermoconductive material dening a void therebetween. a wall surfacing material on the outer face of said sheets, a sinuosity of tubing between the sheets for the circulation of a thermo fluid, and flexible thermo-conducting fins connected to the tubing and the sheets of thermo-conductive material.

4. In a building, a partition comprising spaced 75 5. In a building, a partition comprising spaced 10 essentially parallel ioraminous sheets` o! thermoconductive material dening a void therebetween, a wall surfacing material on the outer face of said sheets, a sinuosity of tubing between the sheets and spaced therefrom for the circulation oi' a thermo iiuid, and ilexible thermo-conducting ns welded to the outer faces of the tubing and extending outwardly with their free ends entering openings in the thermo-conducting sheets.

' GEORGE E. KERSHAW. l0 

